Scottish Memories Magazine / Scotland

It was February, 1993, when Scottish Memories first hit the streets and since then it has gone on from strength to strength and is now one of the leading success stories in a highly competitive market. The magazine has no rivals -- and I don't mean that in an arrogant way. From the beginning, our aim was to create our own unique market and chisel out our special niche on news-stands around the country.

We always felt that 'Memories' would be highly distinctive with its stylish blend of history and nostalgia, arresting pictures and dramatic text. We modelled ourselves on no-one and had no desire to 'take' readers from anyone else or emulate any other publication but, instead, we were determined to have our own family of devoted followers and our own captivating format. And I think we have proved there was a hungry readership out there for such a product.

Not only do we have thousands of readers throughout the world but we have a growing army of young readers, teenagers for whom Scottish history is now -- regrettably -- unexplored territory. It was always one of our ambitions to try and educate the young in their nation's heritage and culture, something which seems to be sadly lacking in schools these days. We knew there was a thirst for knowledge amongst the unfairly derided young and we were happy to oblige with the material to satisfy them.

Nor can we in any way be described as jingoistic or over patriotic or blindly prejudiced or racist. Far from it! We paint the truth about Scotland's past -warts and all -- and often there seems more to regret in our past than there is to celebrate. But where wickedness has been done or the Scots have been in the wrong, we tell the tale and we have been rigorously honest in depicting these blots on the landscape of our past.

However, I must admit we do relish recounting stories of triumphs and thankfully there have been many of these and if we cannot honour many of these neglected exploits then who can? A nation with no past has no future.

From Kirkintilloch to Katmandu, from Perth to Pitcairn, from Rio to Rhum, from Vladivostock to Vatersay, we have readers everywhere. Next to the Jews and the Irish, the Scots seem to be the most flourishing diaspora and I have been told that in the United States they are the most prosperous per head of emigrant.

We get letters of thanks from the four corners of the globe. Among my favourites were the one from the Australian Outback which related how the inhabitants of a dusty, two-shack town waited on their tiny airstrip for the mail plane, binoculars straining to catch a glimpse, which they knew would be carrying their latest supply of 'Memories', and there was the consul who had his copies delivered by sherpas; and the McDonald in Polynesia who got his by canoe. So, rather like the pony express, we always seem to get through!

And the good news is that we are set to go on indefinitely supplying this demand. As long as there is a Scottish tale to tell, we will be busy filling the magazine with colourful yarns about the byways of our past, about neglected or unknown characters, about the love and hate, the laughter and tears which made up the rich tapestry of our nation's past.

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As one of our 'wit and wisdom' items put it so typically succinctly -- 'the past is never dead; it's not even past'. So long may you continue to enjoy 'Memories', currently with a readership in excess of a hundred thousand, and I hope it continues to supply a beacon of pleasure and enlightenment in this often dull, regimented modern world.

George Forbes